U.S. equity futures were trading higher helped by Microsoft and ahead of the conclusion of the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting.
The major futures indexes suggest a gain of over 1% after another volatile session pressured stocks on Tuesday.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I:DJI | DOW JONES AVERAGES | 34297.73 | -66.77 | -0.19% |
| SP500 | S&P 500 | 4356.45 | -53.68 | -1.22% |
| I:COMP | NASDAQ COMPOSITE INDEX | 13539.294893 | -315.83 | -2.28% |
In earnings, Microsoft shares rose over 10% after the software maker’s strong quarter and better-than-expected revenue forecast.
MICROSOFT PROFITS UP 21%, GIVING CUSHION FOR GAMING PUSH
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSFT | MICROSOFT CORP. | 288.49 | -7.88 | -2.66% |
Tesla reports after the closing bell with Apple on tap for Thursday.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSLA | TESLA INC. | 918.40 | -11.60 | -1.25% |
| AAPL | APPLE INC. | 159.78 | -1.84 | -1.14% |
Chip stocks are also gaining momentum after Texas Instruments forecast revenue in the first quarter would be as high as $4.9 billion exceeding analyst estimates.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TXN | TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED | 173.96 | -4.38 | -2.46% |
| NVDA | NVIDIA CORP. | 223.24 | -10.48 | -4.48% |
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At 2pm ET investors will get an update on how aggressively the Federal Reserve will tackle inflation. The U.S. central bank will clarify just how fast it plans to tighten credit and potentially slow the economy.
Some on Wall Street worry that on Wednesday, the Fed may signal it plans a half-point increase in its key rate. There is also concern that Fed Chair Jerome Powell could suggest that the central bank will raise rates more times this year than the four hikes most economists are expecting.
BIDEN TASKS FED WITH INFLATION FIGHT
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USO | UNITED STATES OIL FUND L.P. | 60.97 | +0.86 | +1.43% |
Oil also rose to the $86 per barrel level. Ukraine’s leaders have assured their country that an invasion from neighboring Russia is not imminent but acknowledged the threat is real and received a shipment of U.S. military equipment to shore up their defenses. Moscow has denied it is planning an assault, but it has massed an estimated 100,000 troops near Ukraine in recent weeks and is holding military drills at multiple locations in Russia. That has led the United States and its NATO allies to rush to prepare for a possible war.
In crypto currencies, Bitcoin continued to stabilize trading at the $37K level.
In other economic news, watch for fresh housing data when the Census Bureau is expected to say that sales of new single-family homes jumped 2.2% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 760,000 in December. That would be the highest since April.
In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 0.4%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.2%, while China’s Shanghai Composite rose 0.7%.
FOX Business’ Ken Martin and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
